LED pool lighting is a popular choice for swimming pools. Find out the pros and cons of installing these fittings to light up your pool.

The pros and cons of LED pool lighting

Well-designed lighting will give you the ability to change the mood of your yard and highlight architectural features such as a waterfall, spa or a stone wall of your pool. It also offers night-time visibility, improving your pool’s safety and extending the time you can utilise it.

What is LED pool lighting?

Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights are one of the most popular fittings for swimming pools. As a greater emphasis has been placed on energy-efficiency, LED technology has become a standard feature slowly replacing incandescent bulbs.

The fittings work by pumping voltage through the semi-conductor which emits light whereas incandescent and halogen lights rely on burning filaments. LED fittings simply work by plugging them directly into the power source.

The advantages of LED pool lighting

There are several advantages of installing LED lighting in your swimming pool including:

Energy efficiency

LED pool lighting is more expensive up front than halogen or incandescent lights, they will save you in the long run due to their energy-efficiency. Incandescent lights typically run from 300 to 500 watts, whereas LED bulbs use as little as 42 watts.

By installing LED lights in your swimming pool, you’ll see greater savings in your electricity bills.

Greater lifespan

LED pool lighting is durable, with well over 20,000 hours of power. Quality LED brand names can last for 10 years or more. This will reduce for those lower cost products.

Low maintenance

With the lamps lasting for longer than other light fittings, LED products typically require fewer replacements as they contain tough diodes. That means, you’ll be spending more time enjoying your well-lit pool and less time maintaining it.

Visual effects

LED lights are available in a variety of colours which gives you the ability to create visual effects to set the mood. Highlighting features of your pool can be achieved through the quality of light and the even, deep glow that LED lamps permit. Change the light at the touch of a button.

Automation

Unlike halogen lights, LED lamps can be automated with most models offering an optional remote control. Most will also have integrated smartphone apps for those who prefer a more tech-savvy experience.

Disadvantages of LED lighting

One of the main disadvantages of LED lighting over other fittings such as halogen models is that they aren’t able to be serviced. This means if the internal componentry of the LED lights fail, the fitting needs to be replaced. While the light itself can last up to 10-12 years, the other components probably won’t nearly last as long and will degrade over time.

Cost is another drawback of LED fittings. Beyond the higher upfront costs of the lights, LED lighting requires specific transformers and converters to utilise the right voltage that’s between 12-32v. This will require additional electronic equipment which will increase the overall cost. Fortunately, these transformers aren’t too expensive and are generally fairly reliable.

LED lighting are also somewhat susceptible to leaking, just like halogen fittings. Thankfully, the refined resin-filled LED light fittings largely solve this problem. If you do have to replace a broken LED fitting or a pool light that has leaked, you can swap them over for the resin-filled LED version.

For more tips and advice on pools, visit our Learning Library.